Leader Bike
LD-730R
Frames

Product Description

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Dave D.
a Commuter

Date Reviewed: October 4, 2007

Strengths: great looks. stiff. very light. customer service.

Weaknesses: none yet...

Bottom Line:

This was my first bike build and looked at about a billion frames and reviews before settling on this one. Chris at leader was extremely helpful in fitting me (62cm) and informing me of random specifications that would have otherwise overlooked. I recieved the frame quickly and found the rear derailleur wouldn't fit due to a bent bracket. I called leader cluelessly. They figured it out with me after about ten minutes on the phone and sent me a new bracket and a free t-shirt(every americans weakness) overnight.
All said and done this frame is very quick, light and well built. I get comments on it wherever I go. My other cyclist friends, who are much more experienced than me, loved the bike. I've put about 500 miles on it so far and it's holding up perfectly.

Weaknesses: watter bottle cages are a bit close together, but not bad.

Bottom Line:

I thought it was time to upgrade from my steel Centurion to something aluminum or carbon. I was on a budget so I wanted to find something nice but cheap (almost never happens). I was really skeptical when I found this frame because it was so cheap, but decided to go for it. The frame looks sharp, gotten lots of comments from friends. The ride is surprisingly smooth compared to other aluminum bikes I've tried. The bottom bracket area is stiff but could be a bit better perhaps (maybe I'm just picky). I would DEFINITELY recommend this frame if you want a fast bike and can't afford the higher end bikes. I love it!

Saw Leader's frames on Ebay. What caught my eye was the color and design of the frame. Then I saw the price. Next thing I did was send an E-mail to leader to ask if I could come to their warehouse and see some bikes. Called them up, Chris at Leader was extremely helpful and set up an appointment to come in an see the product.

Went down to their warehouse and looked around. I had intentions of buying a frame and build kit. But on the wall was a 730R built with Ultegra. I looked and saw the price tag of $1,000. Test rode it and 15 min. later I was out the door.

I've ridden the bike every day since I've bought it. I gotta give it to Leader, they have a product on par with the big guys at half the price. Fast, stiff and comfy are the best ways I can describe the bike. I love it!

Strengths: lightweight considering it is the biggest frame they make (65cm). strong and stiff frame while still giving a smooth ride. incredibly low price!!! looks great, too.

Weaknesses: Leader needs to provide customers with instructions for 'breaking in' new integrated seat clamps at or before the point of sale to avoid problems like mine.

waterbottle cage mounts are a bit too close together considering all the space there is on this big frame. the bottoms of two water bottles butt into each other when fully inserted.

these two points led me to subtract one star.

Bottom Line:

I decided to buy this frame after finding it in my size (the 65cm model), seeing the ultra low price, and after reading all the great reviews written about Leader products on this website. If it wasn't for the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I never would have trusted buying such a cheap frame from a company I'd never heard of.

This is my Leader story. I ordered the frame from the Leaderbike store. It arrived very quickly, considering i lived in Okinawa, Japan at the time. I started putting it together with the help of the local shop. i noticed that there was a lot of play between the seat tube and the seat post, though the post and tube were both rated 27.2. So, i tighted down the seat clamp, but no matter how hard i did, the seat kept slipping down. i told Leader about this and they said new integrated seat tube/clamps need to be 'broken in' by tightening it to a certain torque before the post is inserted. they quickly offered to replace my frame and, again very quickly, i had a replacement frame. this time i followed there instructions and the seat no longer slips. a note to future 'international' buyers: read the warranty carefully because the shipping costs for international orders are not covered. a bonus is that Leader also sent a carbon seat post to replace the carbon post i ruined while tightening the first frame.

now, i've been riding the bike for about four months about a couple thousand kilometres, including a long-distance triathlon (Strongman in Miyako-jima 2007) and the frame has been strong, stiff and very light for its 65cm size! i've packed and unpacked the bike several times and the seat clamp has not bothered me again. parts all fit smoothly. mat black paintjob is great, but i think there are a few too many decals for my taste. the bike attracts a lot of attention at the shops and with other riders who have never heard of Leader before.

overall, i'm very happy with this frame and how it rides. i don't think there is a better deal out there for quality frames at such a low price. going for a complete bike set up was tempting, and i still might do that in the future.

Strengths: Stiff without being bone rattling. Sprints so quick I can't believe it. Great climbing geometry, very quick, solid descender. LDR fork takes a lot of the edge off. I LOVE THIS BIKE.

Weaknesses: Top tube is much shorter than comparable frames (owing to TT amd triathalon inspiration). Head and seat tube angles are very steep. Be warned that this bike is twitchy and can get cramped on long, flat rides (w/o aero bars). Frames are a bit undersized, call to make sure you're getting the right size. These are only weaknesses if you are looking for a more comfortable, leisurely bike.

Bottom Line:

Looking to upgrade a Kona frame I purchased this frame from eBay. I was blown away with the build quality and the stiffness. I took the bike up a long canyon road outside Francis, UT and blew away a guy who was riding a brand new Colnago. The bike sprints like it sat on a tack. I love it. People comment on how expensive it looks, its anonymity makes it fun. People have no clue that it was a ~$200 frame. Total build was may 2k all said and done. I love how cheap it was and how well it rides.